I read somewhere that 75% of all New Year’s Resolutions are doomed to fail, or so they say. How that could possibly be measured is beyond me, but let’s play along for now and pretend that it’s true. As I wellness coach, what’s my take on hopping on the resolution band wagon?
I’ll save a seat for you right next to me. I say do it. I know what you’re thinking… “But they say New Year’s Resolutions don’t work. I don’t want to waste my time! What if I fail?”
Settle in for a minute while I tell you a short story.
My son attends an all-boys high school where the basketball team is more like a group of college D1 MVPs than 16-year-old boys. They are awe-inspiring to watch. My son loves playing basketball and played for his middle school team. I vividly remember a conversation we had about him trying out for his high school team.
“Mom, I really want to play on the team, but I’m never gonna make it. Like, 75 kids are trying out and maybe 15 will make it. It’s pointless.”
“You’re right. The odds aren’t great, but somebody has to make the team. Why not you? Why not try? What if you make it?”
So, he tried out. He did his best, got through the first couple of rounds, but in the end, he didn’t beat the odds. He didn’t make the team. Instead, here’s what happened.
He got to spend time with a group of great friends playing on a rec basketball team all 4 years of high school. He discovered that he loves running track as much as he loves playing basketball and never considered trying it before he didn’t make the basketball team. He plans to run track as a walk-on in college next year. He learned that trying something is worth it, even if it doesn’t yield the exact result you assumed it would.
Had he not tried out for that basketball team, consider what all he would have lost!
Here’s the actual truth. The odds aren’t against you. Any effort you put forth in growing, challenging yourself, and striving to be better will yield a positive result. As I tell clients over and over again—any goal we set is just a “trial”. It’s an opportunity to see what sticks, what feels right, or to discover a better path. It may not end up looking exactly how you envisioned it, AND it’s still a win.
A good coach - whether it’s a wellness coach or a high school sports coach will help you find your path. They will help you see the beauty and wisdom in a goal not met exactly as you first planned it, and that not trying is not a good option.
So, I say, TRY! Make the resolution! You have absolutely nothing to lose and so much to gain, as Erin Hanson so beautifully wrote,
There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask, “What if I fall?” Oh but my darling,
What if you fly?